May 1991

Dhauti - Internal Cleansing

A strip of wet cloth, four angulas wide (3") and fifteen hands (1¼
metres) in length, is stoutly swallowed and, then taken out, as instructed
by the guru. This is known as dhauti.
("Hatha Yoga Pradipika"
2:24)

Dhauti is divided, into four parts. According to the "Gherand Samhita"
they are called antar (internal) dhauti, danta (teeth) dhauti, hrid (cardiac)
dhauti, and moola shodhana (rectal cleansing). The practice described
in this verse is actually vastra dhauti. 'Vastra' means 'cloth', This
practice must only be performed under expert guidance and in full accordance
with the instructions given.

The cloth should be of finely woven cotton which is clean and new. Synthetic
material should definitely not be used. The cloth must also be trimmed
neatly so that no fraying takes place. It should he no wider than the
tongue or it will fold as it passes down the throat, and should be at
least one meter and no more than a meter and a half in length.

Technique

Wash, rinse and boil the cloth well - keep it in a container of warm
water while you are practising -squat with the heels on the ground and
buttocks off the ground or resting - on a brick or something of the same
height -relax the body - keep the cloth spread and not folded as you use
it - spread one end over the tongue and start swallowing the cloth -if
it catches in the throat and will not pass down, take a sip of warm water,
but do not drink a large quantity - the stomach is to be filled with the
cloth and not with water - the cloth tends to stick in the lowest point
of the throat, so keep swallowing it and resist the urge to vomit - once
(he cloth passes a little further down the oesophagus the problem will
end -when two-thirds of the cloth have been swallowed, leave the remaining
few inches hanging out of the mouth and stand up ready to practise nauli
- the cloth can be left in the stomach for five to twenty minutes but
no longer - practise dakshina (right) and vama (left) nauli; then rotations
and madhyama nauli - five to ten minutes is sufficient time to clean the
stomach - sit again in the squatting position and remove the cloth.

Vatsara dhauti

Vatsara dhauti is performed by breathing in slowly through the mouth
in kaki mudra and then swallowing the air into the stomach while expanding
the abdomen. It can be done up to ten times or until the stomach is fully
expanded. Then the air should be passed through the large intestine. To
do this it is helpful to assume an inverted posture. Pashinee mudra is
best. The air should then pass out of the anus easily.

Varisara dhauti

Varisara dhauti is more commonly known today as shankhaprakshalana. In
this practice you drink a total of sixteen glasses of warm salty water
and evacuate it through the bowels. First you drink two glasses and perform
a series of five specific asanas: tadasana, tiryaka tadasana, kati chakrasana,
tiryaka bhujangasana and udarakarshan asana. After every two glasses the
asanas should be performed until the water starts flowing out of the anus.
Once clear water starts coming through, you will know that the stomach
and intestines are perfectly clean and you can stop the practice.

Forty-five minutes after completing the practice, a saltless liquid mixture
of cooked rice, mung dal, and ghee has to be eaten until the stomach is
completely full. There are dietary restrictions to be observed for the
minimum period of one week after the practice, and as it is a major cleansing
operation, it must be done under expert guidance.

Laghoo shankhaprakshalana

This is a shortened form of shankhaprakshalana. 'Laghoo' means 'short'.
In this practice only six glasses of warm saline water are taken. After
every two glasses the same series of asanas are to be performed as in
'poorna' (full) shankhaprakshalana.

The "Hatharatnaveli" mentions the use of jaggery water or milk
water (1:5) instead of salt water. There are also various other herbs
and juices which can be used, such as a few drops of lemon, onion or garlic.
Laghoo shankhaprakshalana could be done with carrot or celery juice. Though
not compulsory, we recommend that the practices of first kunjal kriya,
and then jala neti be done immediately after completing shankhaprakshalana.
This gives the best possible cleansing to the entire digestive tract.

Vahnisara dhauti

Vahnisura dhauti, also known as agnisara kriya is a practice which involves
moving the 'fire' in the body. 'Vahni' and 'agni' mean 'fire'. 'Sar' means
'essence'. This 'essence of fire' is located in the navel region. On a
physical level, the practice involves conscious movement of the abdominal
muscles and organs which creates internal heat. The practice is very useful
as a preparation for kapalbhati and bhastrika pranayama.

Simple form

Sit in vajrasana - keep the toes together and separate the knees as far
as possible - place the hands on the knees and keep the arms straight
- lean forward slightly -open the mouth and extend the tongue outside
- breathe rapidly in and out while simultaneously expanding and contracting
the abdomen - the respiration should be in harmony with the movement of
the abdomen and should resemble the panting) of a dog - breathe in and
out up to 25 times - advanced practitioners can perform 50 - 100 breaths.

Advanced form

Exhale as deeply as possible - perform jalandhara bandha (chin lock)
- rapidly expand and contract the abdominal muscles for as long as you
are able to retain the breath. For both forms the standing position can
be used.

Benefits of vahnisara dhauti

This practice massages all the abdominal nerves, strengthens the muscles
and stimulates the associated nerves, encouraging the best possible functioning
of these organs. It promotes the correct secretion of digestive juices
and thereby allows optimum assimilation of nutrients. It prevents and
removes various digestive maladies such as constipation, indigestion,
hyper - acidity, hypo-acidity, flatulence, constipation and sluggish liver.

Danta Dhauti

Danta dhauti is the cleaning of the teeth with a special stick, usually
of neem or babool. A toothbrush and paste can also be used. It includes
jihva dhauti-cleaning the tongue by rubbing it with the joined first finger
and thumb in a downward motion, and then squeezing it, karna dhauti- cleaning
the ears with the middle finger and nothing smaller, kapalrandhra - cleaning
the upper back portion of the palate, chakshu dhauti -bathing the eyes
with tepid saline water or urine.

Hrid dhauti

The word 'hrid' means 'heart' or the chest region, and these practices
are concerned with purifying this region of the body. The techniques are
divided into three - Vastra dhauti, which has already been described,
danda dhauti, and vaman dhauti.

Danda dhauti: This is the method of cleaning the oesophagus, the food
pipe, from the throat to the stomach, by inserting a specially prepared
stick. The stick is usually the soft core of a banana tree stem, being
about half an inch in diameter and two feet long. The stem is carefully
inserted down the throat until the end of it reaches the stomach. Then
it is slowly removed. It should not be attempted under any circumstances
without expert guidance. It removes mucus, phlegm, acidity and general
impurities from the oesophagus.

Vaman dhauti or vyaghra kriya: This is the second practice of hrid dhauti.
'Vaman' is 'to vomit' 'vyaghra' means 'tiger'. Just as a tiger regurgitates
its food a couple of hours after eating; in this practice you vomit the
food from the stomach three hours after a meal. If it is difficult you
can drink a glass or two of warm saline water and then tickle the back
of the throat with the first two fingers to induce vomiting. Traditionally,
after performing this practice, a sweet milk rice pudding should be eaten.

Kunjal kriya: is almost identical to vyaghra kriya, except that it is
performed on an empty stomach. You drink four to six glasses of warm saline
water and then vomit it out. There are no dietary restrictions afterwards.

Moola shodhana: is done by inserting the middle finger into the rectum
and rotating it clockwise, then anticlockwise. Make sure the fingernail
is cut short, and if necessary, you can put some non irritating oil on
the finger to lubricate the anus. The "Gherand Samhita" also
recommends the use of a turmeric root instead of the finger, and starting
by sitting in utkatasana.

Bahiskrita dhauti: This is a very difficult practice unless you are an
advanced hatha yogi. It involves standing navel deep in clean water, pushing
the rectum out and washing it in the hands. The "Gherand Samhita"
states, "It is not easily available even to the gods" (1:23).

Benefits of the dhauti series

The 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika' states, "There is no doubt that cough,
asthma, diseases of the spleen, leprosy and twenty kinds of diseases caused
by excess mucus are destroyed through the effect of dhauti karma.' The
combination of all the practices of dhauti cleans the entire digestive
tract and respiratory tract. It removes excess and old bile, mucus and
toxins, and restores the natural balance of the body's chemical composition,
thus alleviating ailments caused by such imbalances.

The various practices help remove infectious bacteria from the mouth,
nose, eyes, ears, throat, stomach, intestines and anus. The results are
a reduction of excess fatty tissue and relief from flatulence, constipation,
poor digestion and loss of appetite. Dhauti is even said to cure leprosy.
Although this disease is not prevalent in many countries today, the point
is that even such insidious diseases can be alleviated through this powerful
practice.

The "Gherand Samhita" states that dhauti can cure abdominal
ailments and fever, of course it is not advisable to practise dhauti during
a fever or acute visceral infection- However, if it is practised after
recuperation it will prevent recurrence of the problem. There are certain
conditions in which antar dhauti must not be practised. These are: stomach
or intestinal ulcers, hernia, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Are there any restrictions regarding women performing the shatkarmas
at the time of the monthly cycle?

Swami Niranjan: There are no absolute restrictions and rules for the
practices of neti, trataka or kapalbhati, but it should be ensured that,
in the practices of dhauti and basti, undue pressure is not created in
the sensitive system of the female sadhaka at the time of the monthly
cycle. If undue pressure and tension is created in the muscular structure
at the time of basti and dhauti, then the hormonal cycle can be affected.
So the practices of neti, kapalbhati and trataka can be practised by ladies
during the monthly cycle while those of nauli, basti and dhauti should
be done after the monthly cycle to avoid any kind of hormonal or glandular
imbalance within the body.

Ideally, how should the six practices of hatha yoga be learned and practised?

Swami Niranjan: There has to be a proper system in the various practices
of hatha yoga. First, begin with neti as it helps to clear the nasal passages
of mucus blocks and allows for proper intake of air through the nostrils.
Neti not only helps to do this but also aids in. the relaxing and sensitising
the nervous system which is beneficial in the advanced practices of hatha
yoga and other yogas.

After the practice of neti, kapalbhati should be done. This will give
greater control over the autonomic muscular movements of the body. Control
over the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, lungs, chest, and the muscles surrounding
the lungs, chest and ribcage, will be attained through the practices of
kapalbhati. In this way, the muscles will gradually be trained for other
practices.

Along with physical relaxation, mental relaxation is equally important
at the time of yoga practice. So, in. the third stage, trataka can be
practised to release tensions from the mind, intellect and emotions. The
resulting tranquillity starting with the inner personality will influence
the outer physical body.

Then the practice of nauli should be done. Nauli gives control over the
movement of the small and subtle muscles of the internal system.

After nauli, different forms of dhauti should be performed to prepare
the system gradually for the final practice of basti.

Basti should be practised last because in basti we are reversing the
natural laws of the body. The natural process is to expel body waste through
the anus and urinary tracts. However, by taking in water or other forms
of liquid, we are reversing the nature of pranic flow and also of the
muscular structure, which requires great control of the total physiological
behaviour of the nerves, muscles and organs. Therefore, basti should be
practised last.